


Homecoming

by N7rmandy



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Angst, Awkward social situation, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff, One Shot, Other, POV Second Person, Reader-Insert, gender neutral reader, just like a dash of it, reader may have some unresolved issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28402002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/N7rmandy/pseuds/N7rmandy
Summary: You’ve barely spoken to your family in years. Maybe it’s time to reconnect, this time with your Mandalorian partner and little alien son in tow
Relationships: Din Djarin/Reader, The Mandalorian/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 89





	Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to just be pure fluff but it also turned into a bunch of familial angst whoops but I promise it works out in the end

Your family was as surprised as they were excited when you told them you were coming home for the first time in Maker-knows how many years. 

What you didn’t tell them, however, was that your partner, whom you were bringing with, was a Mandalorian. You also neglected to mention that you had a child. Well, _technically_ you did. A little, green, 50-year-old gremlin child, but your child nonetheless. 

So the look on your mother’s face when she opened the door to find her oldest child standing next to six feet of pure intimidation and Beskar holding a tiny creature that looked like it crawled straight from the swamps was enough to make you laugh. You hadn’t seen the woman in years, barely spoken to her even, and the first thing you greet her with is a hearty laugh at least partially at her expense. It was too late for her to hide the shock in her expression, not that she’d ever been very good at that. 

Your own smile fell faster than a hyperspace jump when you saw that she did not, in fact, share in your joke. This whole plan was falling apart even more than you could’ve imagined, and you’d imagined it going pretty bad. You were still standing on the front step for Stars’ sake. 

It was Din’s fault. His and his alone, you told yourself. It was his ridiculous idea to come visit your family. That made this his problem. It definitely had nothing to do with the fact that you’d neglected to give your family rather crucial information about your life in advance. Or the fact that you’d barely spoken to any of them in years. 

It had started like literally any other day. It was one of those days that was so mundane, in fact, that the galaxy itself felt obligated to make something go awry. And awry, it did go. Very quickly and very much outside of your control. 

It wasn’t long after Life Day. Din and yourself had had a small celebration of your own, just the two of you and little Grogu sharing a tender moment from the comfort of the Razor Crest. Before this year, neither you nor Din had really done much for the holiday, both living by yourselves for a long time. But this year, Din had wanted to do something special for the child and you took it as an opportunity to do something for the man himself. It was the first time in a long time either of you’d had something worth celebrating, which made it all the more special. 

It wasn’t until the next day that Din asked you about your old traditions. It was one of the very rare occasions where _he_ was the one prompting a personal discussion, but the two of you had been together plenty long enough to surpass all your old boundaries with each other. 

“My family had pretty small Life Day gatherings. Usually just the household.” You shrugged at the subject, not particularly interested in talking about your family. As a matter of fact, you were pretty sure you’d never spoken of them in all your time with the Mandalorian. It just never came up. 

Din was silent just a moment longer than usual. While it was normal for him to pause mid-conversation, actually taking his time to think before he spoke, there was something in his pause this time that told you he was uncertain of his next words. It was a hesitance he hadn’t had with you in some time. 

“Why? What’s up?” You aimed to coax the thought from him, offering a safe opening to speak his piece. 

“I’m just... surprised. You didn’t ask me to take you home for the holiday. You’ve never asked me to take you home, actually.” As far as he knew, which was very little in this case, your family lived a perfectly normal life on some Mid-Rim planet. You’d only ever mentioned your home off-handedly and he’d never been in a position to ask more, not that he would’ve. Din was a man that valued privacy, both his own and others’. 

Part of the reason you so rarely spoke of your family was because of Din’s own situation with his. You knew of his induction into Mandalorian society. Not only had his birth family been taken from him, but ultimately his adopted family (so-to-speak) as well. You never wanted to risk bad memories resurfacing. But mostly, you just weren’t close with your family, not for a long time anyway. You’d had your own plan of how to spend your oh-so-short lifetime in this oh-so-large galaxy and it just didn’t mesh with theirs. They were content never to leave your home planet, knowing they were safe and sound where they were. They’d made no attempt to stop you leaving, but it turns out that putting physical distance between you had caused just as much of an emotional rift. 

“We’re just not that close,” you summarized. “We didn’t have a falling out or anything, we just sort of... drifted.”

“When was the last time you spoke to them?” Din was hiding something in his voice, something mournful and vulnerable and so unlike him. It was a tone reserved for the dead of night, the two of you wrapped up in each other’s arms as you staved off the thoughts that dared not show themselves in the light of day. This was exactly why you’d avoided this conversation for so long. 

You wanted to end the conversation, to pretend it never even happened, but despite Din’s quiet melancholy, he was clearly determined. You didn’t understand his stake in this matter. “I think I messaged my brothers once after you brought me onboard. Otherwise...” You shook your head, making it clear just how long it had been. Admitting it out loud drove a spike of guilt through your chest. 

“Do you want to see them?” Din wasn’t looking at you, his gaze focused on something on the console despite the fact that you were in the middle of hyperspace, course charted and piloting not really necessary. 

You didn’t know what to say. _Did_ you want to see them? Did _they_ want to see _you_? You really couldn’t stress just how long it had been. You feared they may resent you for your absence. “They probably don’t want to see me,” you mumbled. 

“That’s not what I asked.” He finally turned to face you and all the fight left you. You couldn’t argue when he looked at you like that. Despite the unmoving mask of Beskar covering his face, you could feel the softness in his gaze through sheer _energy_. 

You sighed in defeat, only now admitting to yourself the same thing you said aloud. “I suppose it would be nice to see them again. But what about you? I... I don’t want to leave you.” You’d spent every day with Din for longer than you cared to measure and couldn’t fathom the idea of separating, even for a little while. You wouldn’t be able to go five minutes without worrying about him, even if he wasn’t working. 

You hadn’t meant to sound so dour, opting instead to try and bring some levity back to the conversation. You moved around to the side of the pilot’s chair, Din watching you out of the corner of his visor. You pushed his hands away from the console, making room for you to settle on his lap, your legs hanging off to one side. You draped your arms around his neck and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, or at least the Beskar equivalent, chuckling at the slight hitch in his breath as his hands drifted to your waist. “You wouldn’t last a day without me, Din.”

As much as he wanted to retort with something clever, he recognized you trying to derail the subject. Besides, it was so hard to be clever with the way you were running your fingers lightly through the stray curls of hair that poked out from under the helmet. If there was one thing you were good at, it was distracting him. Just not this time. “What if... what if I come with you?” 

The idea alone nearly startled you back to your feet, only Din’s hands keeping you planted. “You— you want to meet my family?” You weren’t opposed to the idea in the slightest but was he serious? Why would he want to meet them? You never even talked about these people. 

What you didn’t understand was that there was nothing more important to Din than family. Not just Grogu, not just you. You were a clan of three, yes, but you had another clan of your own and they were important too. He feared you’d forgotten that. “Of course I do, _cyar’ika._ Unless... you don’t want me to?”

“No, no! That’s not it!” You chastised yourself for leading him to believe you were _hiding_ him from your family. Never in a million years would you be afraid or ashamed to admit that he was yours and you were his. You’d scream it to the whole galaxy if you could. “I just— I worry. About them, I mean. They may not understand.”

Din leaned back in his seat and his hold on you loosened. “Do they know about me?” 

Your hands slid down to rest on his chestplate, disappointment in yourself setting in. “No. Not a thing. They don’t know where I am, what I do, none of it.” 

“That’s it, then. We’re going.”

-

It was almost scary how quickly your brother had responded to your message. You didn’t even think it could’ve gotten back to you that fast. Your initial message was brief, only really explaining what was necessary. If you were going to visit, you might as well tell them everything in person. All you really told your brother was that you traveled with your partner and thought it was about time for a visit. You’d figured he’d pass on the information to your other brother and your mom. 

It was only the three of them you would be seeing. Your mother was the one you worried about the most. It wasn’t that you didn’t get along, but you got the sense that she was the most upset when you had left. Rightfully so, as you were her firstborn and first to leave the nest, so to speak. But you also feared she’d be the most difficult to warm up to the Mandalorian. She wasn’t a trusting person by nature. You suspected that had something to do with your father having left when you were too young to even remember. 

That led to a necessary, if somewhat awkward conversation with Din explaining your familial situation. 

“So Leo and Avin are actually my half brothers. My father left when I was little and then Mom remarried. Their father passed away awhile back. But they live with Mom, keep her company and whatnot. Oh, and I should mention they’re twins.” You felt like a teacher trying to make sure your student would pass a test. And Stars, was this going to be a hard test. 

“Why’s that important?” 

You looked him dead in the eye, or visor, rather, as if the warning you gave were a matter of life and death. “Because they’re identical and they _will_ make that your problem. No matter which one you think you’re talking to, they will say they’re the other. It’s a nightmare.” 

A small part of Din was beginning to question whether joining you had been a bad idea or not. “Have they always been like that?”

“When we were kids, yeah. And again when they moved back in with Mom. They were fine when they had their own places.” You couldn’t help but chuckle remembering the escapades the three of you had gotten into in your younger days before the wide open galaxy began calling to you and your family was still whole. 

Din had faced death countless times, beaten insurmountable odds and experienced countless terrors. But all his years of experience couldn’t prepare him for the social challenge that lay ahead. These weren’t people he could just intimidate into doing what he said or leaving him alone. He wanted them to actually _like_ him, which was easier said than done. But he’d gotten you to, hadn’t he? And he hadn’t even been aware of it, not really. How hard could it be to do that again?

-

“You didn’t tell them I’m a Mandalorian?” 

The two of you traversed the old streets, cobblestone warmed by the sun and the general bustle of a busy morning surrounding you. People would glance twice when you passed but their stares never lingered. It wasn’t a city by any means, but the town was big enough to keep itself occupied. It also meant you wouldn’t have to worry about people recognizing you. 

“It may have slipped my mind.” You were trying to navigate on memory alone, but your image of the town was apparently more outdated than you realized. Storefronts existed where once had been gardens, streets where once had been fields. You thought about calling your brothers for directions but your stubbornness had yet to allow it. 

“Is that going to be a problem?” Din wished you had prepared your family even a little bit. It was already going to be hard enough getting them to like him. 

“It won’t be.” _Or else I’ll give them a whole other problem to worry about_ , you thought. If any of them so much as _looked_ at Din harshly, you wouldn’t hesitate to march straight out of there and never come back. You loved them, truly, but Din was the single most important person in your life (along with Grogu, of course) and if they couldn’t understand that then that was their problem, not yours. 

“And Grogu?” The little one cooed from his place in his father’s arms, always excited when his name popped up in conversation. 

“I uh, I didn’t mention him either.” You tried to appear focused on your surroundings so that Din wouldn’t see the color that tinted your cheeks. Although, honestly, you probably just looked lost, which you very much were. 

“Did you tell them _anything_ important?” 

You spun on the spot to face him, giving up on trying to read the unfamiliar street signs surrounding the square. “They’re gonna figure it out pretty quickly, aren’t they? What difference does it make?” 

Din tilted his head a bit and looked around, your slight outburst drawing more attention from passersby. You were acting foolish, you realized. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, willing your anxiousness to subside at least a little. “I’m sorry. I’m just... really nervous.” 

“About what they’ll think?” 

“About what _you’ll_ think. I want you to feel like you belong here but... I don’t even belong here.” You sighed and let your shoulders slump, closing your eyes briefly only to have a surprise touch bring you back to full alertness. 

Din tried his best to pull you close, limited somewhat by the child held in one arm. He brought his free hand up to your face, paying no regards to the public setting in which you stood. You tilted your head forward reflexively, all too familiar with this particular gesture. He mimicked you, pressing your foreheads together gently, the cool metal actually refreshing amidst your panic. “This is your home, _cyare_ , as much as the Razor Crest. However this turns out, I’ll love it simply for turning you into the person you are today.”

Oh, this man was going to make you cry. Like, _ugly_ cry. You were going to show up on your mother’s doorstep a sniveling mess, eyes red and puffy, and that would be the end of it. There’d be no way to convince your family Din is a good guy after that. You let out a sharp laugh to stave off the sniffle threatening to be heard. “You’re wrong. Nothing will ever be my home more than the Crest, more than you. Because I love you, you big dork.”

He _laughed_. He wholly, heartily laughed to the best extent he could. Nobody else in the galaxy had ever called him a _dork_ before. He was pretty confident no one had ever called _any_ Mandalorian a dork before. But of course you would be the first. “I love you too, _cyar’ika_.” Grogu even smiled, his father’s joy infectious. Din looked down at him and brushed a finger along the child’s ear. “You too, _ad’ika._ ”

That’s it, there were definitely tears threatening to spill. It was almost a relief when the moment was interrupted by a shrill beep from your communicator. The familiar voice of your brother crackled from the old device. You were pretty sure it was Avin, but who could really tell. _“You landed didn’t you? What’s taking so long?”_

You sighed at the end of your happy little moment but were honestly grateful for an excuse not to wander around like a lost child dragging along a disgruntled bounty hunter all over town. “I guess that’s our cue.”

-

So yeah, you handled the first few seconds poorly. Your poor mother just glanced between you and Din repeatedly, trying to gauge whether he was, in fact, the ‘partner’ you’d so off-handledly mentioned. At first she’d been glad, _ecstatic_ even, to hear you’d been traveling with someone rather than wandering the galaxy by yourself getting into all kinds of trouble. 

But the Mandalorian’s presence practically screamed ‘ _trouble_ ’ to her. Was this a rebellion thing? When she was young herself, she’d dated a podracer just to annoy her parents but this was a _Mandalorian_. Besides, you were a fully-grown adult and had been for some time. What could you possibly have to rebel against? Was this some kind of early mid-life crisis? Even her years of parenting hadn’t prepared her to deal with this. 

After a few more awkward seconds, no one knowing what to _possibly_ say, you cleared your throat to draw attention from the fact that you’d been laughing. “Uh, hi Mom. Long time no see.”

She gathered her wits almost immediately, reverting to a more welcoming demeanor and pretending like she hadn’t just about had a heart attack. “Welcome home, hon. Please, come in come in.” 

The first thing to hit you was the _smell_. It was so strong, so familiar, that you were transported back in time so fast it gave you proverbial whiplash. It didn’t smell like any _thing_ but rather a _time_. The place hadn’t changed a bit. For a brief second, you forgot the Mandalorian was even there. You resisted the urge to run straight to your old room and put on your favorite holodrama. It was only the panic-stricken way your brothers shot to their feet from the kitchen table that snapped you back to reality, their fight-or-flight reflexes kicking in upon seeing the Mandalorian. They were dressed the same, of course. You knew they did that specifically to mess with you. They were _adults_ for Stars’ sake. 

Your mother shot them both a look you didn’t see, effectively freezing them in place. Once they saw you, however, they seemed to realize that they _weren’t_ about to be attacked by an angry bounty hunter. They ran over and hugged you, though they kept their distance from Din like magnets with the same charge, hovering just out of reach. 

When they let go, you took a step back, returning to Din’s side. You could feel the tension radiating off of him in waves. “Mom, Avin, Leo, this is— this is...” _Oh, shit_. You forgot to ask Din if it was okay to share his name with your family. You assumed probably not. Did you just call him Mando? You hated calling him that. It was always either his name or nothing. And what would your family think? ‘ _Oh hey, here’s my partner that I live with and I don’t even know his name._ ’ That’s what it would sound like to them. 

“Din. Just call me Din.” He put a hand on your shoulder to halt your stuttering but now you were simply stunned silent. You gave him a wide-eyed look, silently asking ‘ _Did you really just say that?_ ’ 

Yes, he had planned on letting them know his name from the get-go. They were your family and he trusted them enough. They may not understand the significance but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t share with them anyway. Besides, you would no doubt talk to them about it later. Had this meeting happened much earlier in your relationship, the outcome likely would’ve been different. But he knew exactly what you meant to him, now and forever. Your family, in a way, was his family. Even if they didn’t realize it. 

Leo was the first to respond, holding out a tentative hand to Din. “Nice to meet you, Din.” He nearly drew back in defense at how firm Din’s grip was, which had been completely accidental. Avin echoed his brother, equally cautious. 

“And who’s this?” Your mother addressed Grogu, barely having to lean to be eye-level with the child in Din’s arms. She was a short woman, more so than yourself, which she claimed was just a side effect of old age but you knew better. Regardless, she didn’t seem to have any issue standing so close the Mandalorian she’d been so startled by mere moments ago. 

Din turned to you, allowing you to answer with as much detail as you felt appropriate. You’d been reluctant to share too much with your family so far, so however you chose to relate yourself to Grogu, he would agree with. 

“His name is Grogu. He’s our son.” You stood up a little taller, gauging your family’s immediate responses. After what Din had said earlier, you decided not to hide anything from your family. After all, Din and Grogu were your _new_ family and you loved them with all your heart. You wouldn’t hide that from anyone. 

Din was silently beaming. The sense of pride you displayed for your little clan of three; he thought he might fall in love with you all over again. 

Your brothers could only be described as dumbfounded, not-so-subtly glancing back and forth between Din’s helmet and Grogu, trying to form some connection between the two. They undoubtedly jumped to the conclusion that Din was some kind of alien under all that armor. You’d clarify later. 

Your mother, on the other hand, was harder to read. Either she was ecstatic or terrified. Maybe both. “Oh, I wish you’d told me I was a grandma! Can I hold him?” 

Din nodded and handed over the child with far more ease than you would’ve expected. “Of course.”

There was a minute where your family simply fussed over Grogu, absolutely spoiling him with attention. In the arms of your mother, Avin and Leo were more inclined to interact with the little one. You gave Din a sort of shrug and a half-smile, honestly surprised by their positive reaction. You heard the faintest chuckle from under the helmet and he brushed his hand over your arm in approval. It gave you that extra burst of confidence you so desperately needed. Perhaps this wasn’t going completely horribly. 

With introductions out of the way, your mother handed Grogu back to Din and you moved your little gathering to the main room. It was kind of funny watching Din try to sit comfortably on the loveseat with you. It was overly cushioned and just sort of sank when you sat down. This wasn’t an issue for you, of course, but Din’s armor seemed to disagree with the situation. His flexibility was slightly limited, making it difficult to get fully situated. The metal would clang together lightly every time he shifted, letting out the faint bell-like chime that only pure Beskar could create. Not to mention the bulk of his cape getting in the way. You were just glad he’d opted to leave the jetpack on the ship. 

Your mother was the first to break the silence. “We never hear from you anymore. What all have you been up to? I’m sure it’s quite the story.” Classic her, getting straight the point. She wasn’t a woman who had time for too much idle chit chat. 

You let in a deep breath, preparing yourself for what would probably be a very long story. But when you tried to speak, you just didn’t know where to start. It was hard to think what all had happened in the years prior. It almost felt like nothing had happened to you before Din came along, like your life had been just... _waiting_ up until that point. “Well, uhm. I was on my own for quite awhile. Just sort of hopping from place to place, not really sure what I was doing. Eventually, though, I found Din.” You hesitated on his name, not used to using it around other people. You wondered if this was anything like how he felt when he’s first told it to you. 

“You stowed away on my ship,” he interjected. You knew him well enough to catch the banter in his tone but your family likely had no idea it was a joke. 

You forced a laugh to make it clear to them. “Yes, I did. Best decision I ever made.” They weren’t laughing with you. Your mom just sort of nodded with wide eyes she couldn’t hide. She was trying her best to be polite, but you could sense the panic simmering under surface. 

Apparently it was Avin’s turn with the single brain cell he shared with his brother because Leo didn’t hesitate to ask the question at the top of his mind. “So, what do you do for work, Din?”

Avin elbowed his brother in the ribs hard enough to make him nearly double over, rubbing the spot that would no doubt be bruised later. “ _Leo_ ,” he hissed through gritted teeth, berating his twin over such a stupid, and perhaps dangerous, question.

Din’s shoulders tensed and he looked to you for guidance. Bounty hunting wasn’t a well-liked profession by anyone really and he didn’t want to leave a bad impression by confirming what they no doubt already feared. 

You shook your head lightly, not surprised your brother managed to say something stupid in the first five minutes of you being here. You shrugged and gestured with a palm up, figuring the truth wouldn’t do any more harm. “Tell ‘em.” 

“I’m a bounty hunter. A Mandalorian, if that wasn’t clear.” He shifted awkwardly, making Grogu grumble in annoyance at the motion. 

“Called it,” Leo mumbled and Avin elbowed him again, earning a curse from his sibling. 

Your mother, whose panic was reaching a new high, practically shot to her feet. “I hope you guys are hungry!” She laughed in the way that only someone who’s day was falling apart could laugh; sharp and artificial. “I started preparing dinner before you arrived.” 

You pursed your lips and shot her look, though it was clear by her expression that she had no clue whatsoever the situation she’d just created. Obviously, Din couldn’t eat with everyone. You got to your feet as well, doing your best to keep your voice level. “Can I speak to you in the other room, Mom?” 

She shot a glance between everyone in the room; your oblivious brothers, the stoic Mandalorian, the child who couldn’t be bothered by any of this, and finally you. “I think that would be a good idea.” 

The last thing you heard when you shut the guest room door behind you was one of your brothers asking something along the lines of “So you’re actually a real Mandalorian?” But you couldn’t even take the time to be bothered by it. Unfortunately, your poor Mandalorian would have to fend for himself for a few minutes. 

Your mother was pacing and mumbling too fast for you to comprehend a word, but you had a feeling she wasn’t worrying about dinner. “Mom, just stop.” 

Her hands shot to your arms, desperately in need of an explanation. “What in Maker’s name is going on with you!? When you said you wanted to ‘see the stars,’ I didn’t think you meant with one of the most dangerous people in the galaxy!” At least she had the decency to keep her voice down. 

“He’s not what you think, Mom. Yes, he’s dangerous but that’s his _job_. He’s also kind and loving if you’d just give him a chance.” 

“I’m sorry honey, it’s just really hard to see past all that— that—“ 

“The armor?” You raised an eyebrow, knowing exactly what direction she was headed and you didn’t like it one bit. 

“Yes! I mean, what does he even look like?” She was practically raving at this point, much like any other parent concerned their child was going to get themself killed doing something stupid. What she didn’t understand was that this wasn’t just your idea of some adventure, this was your _life_ now, your _family_. 

“I don’t know.” Your tone went flat, knowing full well that your answer would only deepen her fears. 

“You don’t know what he _looks like_?”

“The Mandalorian Creed prevents him from removing his helmet in front of anyone.” 

She was becoming incoherent again, spouting the sorts of nonsense usually reserved for naive teenagers. “There’s a reason all you hear about Mandalorians is stories, you know. Danger follows them everywhere. They hunt it out. They’re trouble! You must have a death wish! What do you even do for him? You’re not a hunter now, are you? Do you even know how old he is!? You know _nothing_ about him—“

That was the last straw. You stomped your foot down as heavy as you could on the metal floor, the sound startling your mother into silence. Your words came out almost as a snarl, desperately trying to maintain your composure through gritted teeth. “I know more about him than anyone does. And he understands me more than you _ever_ have. Where was all this concern for me when I left home, hm?” 

“Well I didn’t think you’d come back with a _Mandalorian!_ ”

“At least I found someone who’s actually there for his kid!”

You didn’t realize you’d been shouting until the room was plunged into a painful silence. There was no way the others didn’t hear you. You wanted to take it back, to just go back to a simple, if not slightly awkward, family gathering. Or better yet, just go back to the ship, before you’d even come here at all. This was exactly the kind of thing you’d been afraid of happening. 

Your mother just stared at you, completely frozen. You could tell that if she moved or said even a word, she’d break down crying. You couldn’t remember a time you’d seen her like this, not in your entire life. Your heart sank and you felt like a monster. 

“I’m— I’m sorry,” you stuttered, your own voice breaking. “I shouldn’t have said that about Dad.” You couldn’t speak any louder than a whisper, afraid that if you tried, you’d break down with her. 

She took a deep breath, calming her nerves like a seasoned pro. You envied her ability to stabilize herself. “No, don’t be sorry. He deserves it. I should be sorry. You’re— you’re right. Din seems really good with— Grogu, is it? I’m sure he’s a wonderful father.” 

You let out a shaky laugh, running a hand through your hair. “Yeah, he is. He really is. He’s sacrificed so much for that kid, so much for _me_. I love him more than anything. I just— I just wanted you to accept him.” 

Your mother does something she hasn’t done in ages, even since long before you left home. She throws her arms around you in the tightest hug she can muster, which is surprisingly strong for a woman of her size. “I will honey, I promise. It’ll just take some getting used to, that’s all. I’m sorry I freaked out.”

“It’s okay. I should’ve explained better before I showed up. Or even just talked to you guys more in general.” You let your mother go and instantly the air felt lighter. She was smiling now in a different way than when you’d gotten here. This wasn’t her fake ‘pretend like everything’s normal’ smile. She even cracked something of a joke. 

“I didn’t know there were alien Mandalorians.” 

“What makes you think Din’s an alien?” 

“Your son is green, honey. Not that it matters—!” 

You almost couldn’t respond, you laughed so hard. “He’s— Grogu’s adopted, Mom.” 

“Oh.”

“Din’s human.”

She seemed ready to drop the matter before something visibly crossed her mind. “But you haven’t seen his face?” 

And now you were treading into territory that you really didn’t want to talk about with your mother. You always wore a blindfold when Din removed his helmet. By now you knew every inch of his face by heart from touch alone but that was, well... _personal_. “Technically no, I haven’t.” 

She held up her hands as if to say she was dropping the subject. “I’m not going to question that ‘technically.’”

“Good idea. We should go back out there. I want to make sure Avin and Leo haven’t scared Din away by now.” 

Your mother scoffed. “Now _that_ would be something to see.”

-

You genuinely thought they might’ve scared him away. And just when things were looking up too. 

The house was quiet, the main room empty. There wasn’t a sign of life to be found. You helped your mother search the house, but it became pretty clear pretty quickly that the place was empty. It wasn’t exactly a mansion. 

“They must be outside,” you said, though you couldn’t fathom why. 

You stepped out the back door to find your brothers knelt in front of Grogu, playing some kind of game with him. Din stood off to the side, arms crossed and weight shifted to one hip, clearly amused. Avin and Leo practically lit up when they saw you, talking over each other like excited children. It was hard to remember that they weren’t. “Check out this game we came up with! Grogu loves it!” 

“Your kid is like magic or something!” Leo added. You shot Din a worried look but you could tell he was laughing by the slight shake in his shoulders. Whatever was happening, it wasn’t serious. 

“Okay kid, let’s do it again.” Avin put his hands over his eyes for a second and Grogu copied him, even closing his eyes for good measure. The twins switched places a few times, looking absolutely ridiculous in the process. When they stopped, Grogu opened his eyes and looked between them. 

“Okay kid, point to Leo,” Leo said, hoping his use of the third person might throw the kid off. _You_ knew it was Leo talking, or at least you were like 95% sure, but you doubted anyone else besides your mother would be able to tell the difference. The joke had gotten old when you were like 12 but the two of them had never grown out of it. 

It took a moment but Grogu pointed straight at Leo, his tiny head full of confidence. Your brothers were absolutely _ecstatic_ , picking up the kid as if he were the coolest thing in the galaxy. 

You walked over to Din who didn’t seem worried in the slightest. You wondered how many times they played this ‘game’ before Din had decided they _weren’t_ actually going to reveal your child’s magic powers. “How long you been out here?” You asked. 

“Awhile. Thought you and your mother could use some privacy.” 

“How much did you hear?” You hoped it wasn’t much. 

“Enough. You okay?” Din wasn’t going to push it. He’d heard almost all the conversation, your brothers not suggesting going outside until they’d heard you yelling. He just hoped you wouldn’t regret making this trip, especially not since he’d insisted on it. 

“Yeah, we’re good now, really.” You nudged his unarmored waist playfully. “Mom does like you, you know. She just worries. She has to get used to... all _this_.” You gestured to the scene around you; Grogu, Din, even yourself. “It might take a little while, but she means well.”

“Does that mean we’re coming back here?” 

You hummed in thought. “Well, maybe not until next Life Day. We can send holos, though. I know Mom will want to see more of her grandchild.” 

You leaned into Din’s side, knowing he was content under that helmet of his. You were glad he’d convinced you to come here. He reminded you that family was something to be cherished, whether by blood or not. However long it took, you’d make sure he felt like he belonged, just as he’d done for you.

**Author's Note:**

> This was just meant to be some fluff exploring themes of parenthood and family I didn’t mean for it to spiral in the middle there. I’m not projecting, I swear. I just like writing ANGST


End file.
